Browse Subscribe

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Encouraging news

With Republicans madly suing all over the country to limit voter turnout, it's good to continue to hear details of the depth of Obama campaign organizing. My daughter's report (it's in the comments section of this link and has now been corrected after being in error most of the day) on her regular weekend canvassing journeys to Pennsylvania provided a window on that earlier. Today, I got a copy of an e-mail sent to an LR volunteer who had said he'd travel to a battleground state election day to help the Obama campaign. Impressive response.

SPEAKING OF THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN: The Bill Clinton-led Obama road show continues at 11:30 a.m. today in downtown Pine Bluff and then at 1:30 p.m. in downtown Jonesboro.

Thank you again for agreeing to join Barack Obama's Campaign for Change in North Carolina as a Poll Observer. On election day, millions of North Carolinians will be going to the polls, many of them voting for the very first time, and by volunteering you will assure that they can cast a ballot and have their voices heard.

In this email we are giving you your precinct assignment and asking you to do three things: (1) confirm your availability; (2) sign up for a training slot; (3) confirm your phone number.

(1) Your precinct . On Election Day, November 4, we have assigned you to be an observer at WILLIS BLDG, which is located at 300 E 1ST ST in GREENVILLE.

This is one of our key precincts, in which the election will be won or lost, and if you confirm we will be counting on your help. We ask that you arrive 15 minutes before the polls open, to be sure that they open on time and that all of the machines and ballots are in proper order, and that you serve until the polls close, when votes are counted and all of the provisional ballots are counted. Please confirm that you are able to be a poll observer as soon as possible, and in any event no later than this Sunday, October 27.

(2) Training . We will provide training and a manual that covers the most important situations you are likely to face. On election day, you will also have a phone number into a state boiler room staffed by attorneys who will talk with you about any more complicated situations and take further action if necessary. You will be well equipped to protect the vote!

Dial-in trainings will be held at 8 p.m. on October 30 and November 3. In-person trainings will be available in the following cities on the afternoon of November 2:

CharlotteRaleighOrangeDurham

GuilfordAshevilleRocky Mount

Fayetteville

You must attend or call into at least one of these training sessions before serving as a poll watcher. When you confirm that you will watch the polls on November 4, please also tell us which of these trainings you will attend. We will send you more detailed information about your training once we have heard from you.

(3) Phone number. The phone number(s) we have for you: 501XXX-XXXX. We will need a phone number we can use to contact you on election day. If we should use some other number, please email us.

If you have questions about your assignment, trainings, or anything else, please call us at 919-XXXXXXX or email us at XXXXXXXXX.

Thank you for your commitment to this campaign, and to promoting the right to vote. This election day is a historic one, and we will all long remember the part that we played in it. We look forward to working with you, and to November 4!

M.L. King Day: The open lines and a roundup of headlines and comment.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson has made several public appearances today as part of the observance of King Day and his remarks have included lauding the state's 2017 action (and his own) in ending the dual observance of King's birthday with that of a man who fought to preserve slavery, Robert E. Lee. I have one brief observation on his remarks:

Readers also liked…

The Washington Post has published a map that counts Arkansas as among states that will "partially comply" with a sweeping request for voter data by the so-called election integrity commission set up by Donald Trump in an effort to cast doubt on Hillary Clinton's 3 million-vote popular defeat of him in 2016.